Especially common in residential building structures, exterior walls or underlayment are known to be covered with a siding material typically made of aluminum, plastic, cedar or other synthetic material often made to appear like wood. Often, various exterior appendages of the home such as drying vents, exterior light fixtures, electrical outlets, and water spigots must be trimmed-out for aesthetic reasons. This is commonly done with a mounting bracket similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 as prior art and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,708 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The known bracket 20 has a base member 22 that snap fits to a trim member 24 along an axis 26 disposed perpendicular to the underlayment and during assembly. The base member 22 has a continuous flange 28 that projects radially outward and is typically nailed to the underlayment. Projecting axially or laterally outward from the flange 28 and to an inner central panel 30 is a continuous wall 32. Generally, the wall 32 defines the perimeter of the central panel 30. A cutout 34 communicates through the panel 30 and has a shape generally dictated by the appendage projecting through it (not shown).
The trim member 24 has a continuous partition 36 that projects laterally and axially inward toward the base member 22, and a aesthetically pleasing flange 38 that projects radially outward from the partition 36. An opening 39 is generally defined by the partition 36 and receives the wall 32 and panel 30 when the bracket 20 is assembled. The partition 36 is generally shaped to conform with the wall 32. Multi-positional snap fit features (not shown) are known to be carried between a radially outward surface 40 of the wall 32 and a radially inward surface 42 of the partition 36. When the bracket is assembled, the close proximity of the partition 36 to the wall 32 causes the feature to lock the partition and wall together.
During construction of the building, once the base member 22 is secured to the wall, the siding material is installed over the wall and over the flange 28. The siding, however, must be trimmed so that it is slightly spaced from the continuous wall 32 of the base member 22. This spacing allows room for entry of the continuous partition 36 of the trim piece 24, yet is close enough to the wall so that the ends are aesthetically concealed by the outer flange 38 of the trim member 24 which is substantially flush to the siding. Unfortunately, the siding is typically exposed to rain or water which flows down the siding and beneath the exterior flange 38. This water can accumulate and seep into the concealed ends of the siding and seep further to down the inner flange 28 of the base member 22 exposing the underlayment to moisture. This retain moisture can potentially create a host of problems including the rot of wood, disintegration of simulated materials and the attraction of unwanted insects.